Peterborough service will remember millions killed in the Holocaust
Residents are invited to remember the suffering and sacrifice of millions of people killed in genocides including the Holocaust, at a poignant service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The event will take place at St John the Baptist Church, Peterborough, on Thursday, January 29 at noon.
The Mayor of Peterborough, Cllr Judy Fox will lead a civic procession from the Town Hall at around 11.40am to Cathedral Square. The procession will then move to St John's Church for the service at 12pm. Guests are invited to be seated in the church for 11.40am.
Following the service, a wreath laying ceremony will take place outside at the memorial stone in St John's Square to conclude the commemorations.
Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated worldwide on or around January 27 to remember the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust and the millions involved in genocides across the world. January 27 marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
A commemorative event has been held in Peterborough for several years, as a public and inter-faith act of remembrance.
Cllr Fox said: "The special events taking place in Peterborough give us all the chance to remember the victims of genocide.
"Holocaust Memorial Day is a poignant occasion giving us the chance to reflect on past atrocities and share stories so that we never forget. Please come along if you can.”
Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, and in doing so pledged his commitment to marking Holocaust Memorial Day, honouring the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
After signing the Book of Commitment, Andrew Pakes MP said: “Holocaust Memorial Day this year marks over 80 years since the liberation of the infamous former Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in 1945. Today presents an important opportunity for people from Peterborough to reflect on the darkest times of European history.
“I pledge to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust and speak out against all forms of antisemitism, which in recent months has risen exponentially and which needs to be tackled head on.”
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “On Holocaust Memorial Day we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators; and we honour the survivors who rebuilt their lives while coming to terms with unimaginable loss.
“This Holocaust Memorial Day comes at a moment of renewed danger for Jewish communities worldwide. From Bondi Beach in Australia to Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester, in recent months we have seen Jewish people murdered while observing their holiest days. These atrocities did not occur in a vacuum.”
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2026 is 'Bridging Generations'. This is a reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn't end with the survivors - it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us.